Adding Powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of wormwood
by Sineluce Velius-Tristitia
Summary: A short bit on a (I guess) cliche first question of Severus Snape to Harry in book one.


**A/N: This is a very short one.**

**Disclaimer: Nada.**

:::…~~~-0-~~~…:::

"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Severus Snape sneered at the silent boy. He looked so much like his father. There was silence and Potter wore a blank expression. Frankly, he never expected the child to be able to answer him. Potter opened his mouth to answer.

"I don't know…" He said and Snape sneered and was about to ask another question to further humiliate the brat but he was cut off by said brat. "but it wasn't your fault, sir." There was a sad, wistful smile that graced the child's features for a moment before it disappeared.

If the Potions professor was surprised, he did not show it he was just standing there. The whole class was staring at Harry. Finally, Snape seemed to have ordered his thoughts and sneered at him.

"Ten points for Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter. And add to that a detention with myself later." Snape said with a sneer and started his lesson.

:::…~~~-0-~~~…:::

Snape waited for the brat after the feast, as he had said, in the potions classroom. The brat was already thirty minutes late and he walked over to where Potter had sat. He could humiliate him further in their next encounter… he noticed a piece of parchment on the desk.

There was a piece of stone lying on top of a piece of parchment. Surprised, he picked the stone up and read the parchment. He hadn't seen these earlier.

_Turn the stone trice._

At the end was a drawing of a circle enclosed in a triangle with a vertical line in the middle.

He had seen the symbol before… maybe on a passing? He looked at the stone he was holding. Not quite wanting to believe the letter, he looked around to see if someone had left it there, though he knew it wasn't possible because he was in there for at least 30 minutes already. His eyes settled on a book on his desk about ancient runes. A book?

He looked at the note again and to the stone he was holding. He recognized the drawing on a children's book he had read. About the tale of the three brothers. They had managed to outsmart Death and in return or revenge, Death had given them a gift of their choosing. He looked again at the stone he was holding and read the note again.

_Turn the stone trice._ It said. The only stone related to the symbol was the… Resurrection Stone.

Snape stared and stared at the stone on his hands with increasing incredulousness. Impossible. It was only a children's story. Without thinking, he had turned the stone thrice.

"Severus." A voice behind him said. Snape whirled around. He was faced by a redheaded girl with emerald green eyes. Familiar emerald green eyes. She was smiling at him, a happiness he had wanted to see once more for a long time. Lily.

To say he was hocked was a severe understatement. He was in full shock. He was staring at the eyes of his childhood friend. His love. His Lily. No. She had stopped being his Lily since the day he had called her a mudblood. And when he had reported to the Dark Lord about the prophecy…

Lily pursed her lips. "Sev. It was not your fault." She started. Snape felt his eyes prickle. "Harry was right. It was not your fault." She stepped closer to him. Lily reached out and tried to touch Severus but it was not to be. The dead were not meant to be with the living. Her hand simply passed through him. "And I…" she touched his cheek and hoped that he can feel it. "I forgive you." She said with a sincere smile.

Without his knowledge, tears trickled down his cheeks. Lily hugged him and felt very grateful when there was a very faint feeling of touch.

"It wasn't your fault. You…" Lily felt tears flowing down her cheeks. "even after all these years, you wallowed in self guilt and sorrow. Severus, you didn't need to, you know I will forgive you," She said and kissed him on the forehead. There wasn't enough time. She pulled away and sent one last smile at him. "always."

Lily faded away and Severus collapsed on his knees.

Lily forgave him.

She said it wasn't his fault.

He finally realized he was crying but he didn't care. All that mattered was that…

Her touch words, and kiss all felt real.

:::…~~~-0-~~~…:::

**A/N: A very short one. Actually, I just found out about the theoretical meaning of Snape's first question to Harry in the net.**


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